If anyone has got any nails left after that game last night then they must have ice running through their veins.
This was tense. Doubly tense. Infinitely tense.
It was what finals are supposed to be like. Nothing between teams, rugged defence and no quarter given or asked.
Those who were predicting a 30-point win to the All Blacks must have spent too much time on the Auckland waterfront, sampling the refreshments, during the week.
There was just too much at stake for it to be a walkover.
Finals are about who makes the fewer mistakes. Both teams made few so it turned into a very tight game.
This was a million miles from Super Rugby and the All Blacks deserved the win for they stood up for the whole tournament and made the tackles that mattered against a gallant French outfit.
The atmosphere was, as so many sportsmen say, "unbelievable". With five minutes to go in the super tight game, the huge crowd rose and just rode the side home.
The All Blacks needed a 16th man at that stage, because the French appeared to be peaking nicely.
One got the feeling the All Blacks were just holding on, standing at the edge of the cliff with the French pushing them over.
But they simply could not give it away.
One wonders how much those 24 years of hurt helped in the final minutes. The desire from the whole country seemed to be channelled into the All Black defence and the ability to stop the French attack.
The All Black attack did not fire in this game but France was very flat in defence and it just did not miss a tackle.
The home side was also at the end of an extremely long season. It began in February and most of these players have been going back to the well and it was running down to a puddle for many of them.
But they have done it, got the monkey off the back, and now it is time to rejoice.
The crowd at the game last night was nothing short of fantastic.
Before the match it was a sea of black outside Eden Park, with the odd sprinkling of the tricolour, as fans mingled with utmost excitement.
But there was still that sense of nervousness in the air. That feeling there was still a job to be done. The nearer the start of the game drew, the more tense the crowd become.
It was a bit like the night before Christmas, when you want Santa to bring that one special present.
There is the excitement, and something you so want may be in your lap in minutes.
But at the back of your mind is that trepidation the one thing you desire will not be there. Santa will become Scrooge.
The All Blacks, though, eventually delivered, but there was a huge amount of sweating first.
Questions. -
• Stephen Donald. Can all be forgiven? And who is next off the cab behind him? Thank goodness it is the last game of the tournament for the No 10 cupboard is bare.
• Is there any point in France having a coach? Awful one week and then so close to world champions the next.
• Will this atmosphere from the past six weeks continue into the next year. Or will spectators return to silent watchers?
